1 Amakhosi 3
1 USolomoni wasehlangana ngomtshado loFaro inkosi yeGibhithe, wathatha indodakazi kaFaro, wayiletha emzini kaDavida waze waqeda ukwakha indlu yakhe lendlu yeNkosi lomduli weJerusalema ozingelezeleyo.
Solomon allied himself by marriage with Pharaoh king of Egypt. He took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her into the city of David until he had finished building his own house, the house of Yahweh, and the wall around Jerusalem.
2 Kube kanti abantu babenikela umhlatshelo endaweni eziphakemeyo, ngoba kwakungakhelwanga ibizo leNkosi indlu kwaze kwaba yilezonsuku.
The people were sacrificing at the high places, because no house had yet been built for the name of Yahweh.
3 USolomoni wayithanda-ke iNkosi, ehamba ezimisweni zikaDavida uyise; kube kanti wanikela umhlatshelo watshisa impepha endaweni eziphakemeyo.
Solomon showed his love for Yahweh by walking in the statutes of David his father, except that he sacrificed and burned incense at the high places.
4 Inkosi yasisiya eGibeyoni ukuhlaba khona, ngoba leyo yayiyindawo ephakemeyo enkulu. Iminikelo yokutshiswa eyinkulungwane uSolomoni wayinikela phezu kwalelolathi.
The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place there. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar.
5 EGibeyoni iNkosi yabonakala kuSolomoni ephutsheni ebusuku. UNkulunkulu wathi: Cela engingakunika khona.
Yahweh appeared at Gibeon to Solomon in a dream by night; he said, “Ask! What should I give you?”
6 USolomoni wasesithi: Wena wenzele inceku yakho uDavida ubaba umusa omkhulu, njengokuhamba kwakhe phambi kwakho eqinisweni lekulungeni lebuqothweni benhliziyo kuwe; wamgcinela lo umusa omkhulu ukuthi wamnika indodana ehlezi esihlalweni sakhe sobukhosi njengalamuhla.
So Solomon said, “You have shown great covenant faithfulness to your servant, David my father, because he walked before you in trustworthiness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart. You have kept for him this great covenant faithfulness and have given him a son to sit on his throne today.
7 Ngakho-ke, Nkosi Nkulunkulu wami, wena wenzile inceku yakho yaba yinkosi esikhundleni sikaDavida ubaba; ngingumntwanyana nje, angikwazi ukuphuma lokungena.
Now Yahweh my God, you have made your servant king in the place of David my father, though I am only a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in.
8 Lenceku yakho iphakathi kwabantu bakho obakhethileyo, abantu abanengi, abangelakubalwa labangelakunaniswa ngobunengi.
Your servant is in the midst of the people whom you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted.
9 Ngakho nika inceku yakho inhliziyo eqedisisayo ukwahlulela abantu bakho, ukuze ngehlukanise phakathi kokuhle lokubi; ngoba ngubani olamandla ukwahlulela lesisizwe sakho esikhulu?
So give your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, so that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?”
10 Laloludaba lwaba luhle emehlweni eNkosi ukuthi uSolomoni ucele lolulutho.
This request of Solomon pleased the Lord.
11 UNkulunkulu wasesithi kuye: Ngenxa yokuthi ucele lolulutho, ungazicelelanga insuku ezinengi, ungazicelelanga inotho, ungacelanga umphefumulo wezitha zakho, kodwa uzicelele ukuqedisisa ukuzwa ukwahlulela,
So God said to him, “Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice.
12 khangela, sengenze njengamazwi akho. Khangela, ngikunike inhliziyo ehlakaniphileyo leqedisisayo, ukuthi kungabi khona onjengawe ngaphambi kwakho, lemva kwakho kungaveli onjengawe.
See, now I will do all you asked of me when you gave me your request. I give you a wise and an understanding heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, and no one like you will rise up after you.
13 Futhi longakucelanga ngikunikile, ngitsho inotho lodumo, ukuze kungabi khona umuntu onjengawe emakhosini zonke izinsuku zakho.
I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days.
14 Njalo uba uzahamba endleleni zami, ukugcina izimiso zami lemilayo yami njengoDavida uyihlo wahamba, ngizakwelula insuku zakho.
If you will walk in my ways to keep my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”
15 USolomoni wasephaphama; khangela-ke kwakuliphupho. Wasesiza eJerusalema, wema phambi komtshokotsho wesivumelwano seNkosi, wanikela iminikelo yokutshiswa, wanikela iminikelo yokuthula, wenzela inceku zakhe zonke idili.
Then Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. He came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. He offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.
16 Ngalesosikhathi kwafika abesifazana ababili, amawule, enkosini, bema phambi kwayo.
Then two women who were prostitutes came to the king and stood before him.
17 Omunye owesifazana wasesithi: Hawu nkosi yami, mina lalumfazi sihlala ndlunye; ngasengibeletha ngilaye endlini.
One woman said, “Oh, my master, this woman and I live in the same house, and I gave birth to a child with her in the house.
18 Kwasekusithi ngosuku lwesithathu ngibelethile, laye lumfazi wabeletha; njalo sasindawonye, kungekho owemzini kanye lathi endlini, ngaphandle kwethu sobabili endlini.
It happened on the third day after I gave birth that this woman also gave birth. We were together. There was no one else with us in the house, but only the two of us in the house.
19 Umntwana walumfazi wasesifa ebusuku, ngoba walala phezu kwakhe.
Then this woman's son died in the night, because she lay on him.
20 Wasevuka phakathi kobusuku, wathatha indodana yami eceleni kwami, incekukazi yakho isalele, wayilalisa esifubeni sakhe, lomntanakhe ofileyo wamlalisa esifubeni sami.
So she arose at midnight and took my son from beside me, while your servant slept, and laid him at her breast, and laid her dead son at my breast.
21 Lapho ngivuka ekuseni ukumunyisa umntanami, khangela-ke wayesefile; sengimkhangelisisa ekuseni, khangela-ke, kwakungeyisuye umntanami engamzalayo.
When I rose in the morning to nurse my child, he was dead. But when I had looked at him carefully in the morning, he was not my son, whom I had borne.”
22 Kodwa lowo omunye owesifazana wathi: Hatshi, kodwa indodana yami ngephilayo, lendodana yakho ngefileyo. Lalowo wathi: Hatshi, kodwa indodana yakho ngefileyo, lendodana yami ngephilayo. Batsho njalo phambi kwenkosi.
Then the other woman said, “No, the living one is my son, and the dead one is your son.” The first woman said, “No, the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son.” This is how they spoke before the king.
23 Inkosi yasisithi: Lo uthi: Le yindodana yami ephilayo, lendodana yakho ngefileyo; lomunye uthi: Hatshi, kodwa indodana yakho ngefileyo, lendodana yami ngephilayo.
Then the king said, “One of you says, 'This is my son who is alive, and your son is dead,' and the other says, 'No, your son is the dead one, and my son is the living one.'”
24 Inkosi yasisithi: Ngithathelani inkemba. Basebeyiletha inkemba phambi kwenkosi.
The king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword before the king.
25 Inkosi yasisithi: Dabulani kabili umntwana ophilayo, linike omunye ingxenye, lomunye ingxenye.
Then the king said, “Divide the living child in two, and give half to this woman and half to the other.”
26 Owesifazana okwakungowakhe umntwana ophilayo wakhuluma enkosini, ngoba imibilini yakhe yavutha ngendodana yakhe, wathi: Hawu nkosi yami, mnikeni yena umntwana ophilayo, lingambulali loba kunjani. Kodwa omunye wathi: Kangabi ngowami kumbe ngowakho, dabulani.
Then the woman whose son was alive spoke to the king, for her heart was full of compassion for her son, and she said, “Oh, my master, give her the living child, and by no means kill him.” But the other woman said, “He shall be neither mine nor yours. Divide him.”
27 Inkosi yasiphendula yathi: Nikani yena umntwana ophilayo, lingambulali loba kunjani; nguye unina.
Then the king answered and said, “Give the first woman the living child, and by no means kill him. She is his mother.”
28 UIsrayeli wonke wasesizwa isahlulelo inkosi eyayisahlulele, besaba phambi kwenkosi, ngoba babona ukuthi inhlakanipho kaNkulunkulu yayikuye ukwenza isahlulelo.
When all Israel heard of the judgment which the king had rendered, they feared the king, because they saw that the wisdom of God was in him for giving judgments.
